April 10th, 1966 - Easter Sunday - Aberri Eguna Celebrations

Early in the morning, at roughly 9 AM, Jesús María de Leizaola Sánchez spoke over the radio, giving the following speech.

"Good morning, fellow Basques, good countrymen of the fair nation of my heart! Good morning. On this day of remembrance, we celebrate the Resurrection of the Body of Christ. Almost two thousand years ago, our Lord and Savior ventured into Hell itself, and took the keys of death from Satan. Now, it is today, we can say, 'Death! Where is your sting?' For our God has triumphed over the most final of enemies, the most lasting of mortal wounds."

"Much like God has risen from the ashes of destruction, placed upon Him by a totalitarian leader in Rome, much like how He was betrayed by the religious leaders of his time, left with nothing but the support of His Father in Heaven until the time where even He forsook his one and only Son for the redemption of humankind, much as He was spat upon, lashed at, and killed, so too do we find our nation. So too do we find our people!"

"The Virgen Blanca festivities are well known to us. The Spanish government blames the ETA; French news blames the Spanish government. But in the end - civilians died. People, men, women, and children, through no fault of their own, were stricken and killed by forces beyond their control. Caught in the crossfire between terrorists and police - or between liberators and fascists, regardless of your outlook, it is equally deplorable."

"We must make a stand, both for our nation, and for peace. Just as the international community has cried out - just as France has demanded an end to the bloodshed - we must respond to these cries! Twenty years ago, 65,000 loyal Basques celebrated Fatherland Day. At the Virgen Blanca festivities alone, there were 89,000. I call upon you, good people of the Basque nation, to do what must be done."

"We are good Christians. To be Christian is to strive to be Christ-Like. Therefore, it is demanded of us to carry out God's will of peace on this land, and fight for our God given rights of self-determinism. No, I do not want you to take up arms. Instead, I wish for you to embrace one another. In the streets, in the plaza, in front of the police station. Join hand in hand, brother with brother, mother with son, Christian with brother Christian. Stand together against tyranny as Jesus stood against death itself."

"We will be lashed. We will be stricken. We will be arrested. But not for our gain. For the gain of humanity! For the furtherance of peace! Let us show the world that we need not resort to the ETA to gain our freedom! Rise up, brother Basques, flood the streets not with war, but with the love of Christ!"